Pearson Errors: Would You Trust Your Child to This Corporation?

dianeravitch posted: "Pearson, the British megacorporation, appears to have won the PARCC Common Core contract, which is worth about $1 billion. Its tests will be administered to 6-10 million children in 14 states. The third grade tests will take eight hours. The high school t" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Diane Ravitch's blog Pearson Errors: Would You Trust Your Child to This Corporation? by dianeravitch Pearson, the British megacorporation, appears to have won the PARCC Common Core contract, which is worth about $1 billion. Its tests will be administered to 6-10 million children in 14 states. The third grade tests will take eight hours. The high school tests will take 10 hours. PARCC is also developing tests for kindergarten, first and second grades. FAIRTEST has compiled a catalogue of known Pearson errors: PEARSON'S HISTORY OF TESTING PROBLEMS compiled by Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing Updated May 5, 2014 1998 California – test score delivery delayed 1999-2000 Arizona – 12,000 tests misgraded due to flawed answer key 2000 Florida – test score delivery delayed resulting in $4 million fine 2000 Minnesota – misgraded 45,739 graduation tests leads to lawsuit with $11 million settlement – judge found "years of quality control problems" and a "culture emphasizing profitability and cost-cutting." http://www.news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/200211/25_pugmiret_testsettle/ (FairTest consulted with plaintiffs' attorneys) 2000 Washington – 204,000 writing WASL exams rescored 2002 Florida -- dozens of school districts received no state grades for their 2002 scores because of a "programming error" at the DOE. One Montessori school never received scores because NCS Pearson claimed not to have received the tests. 2005 Michigan -- scores delayed and fines levied per contract 2005 Virginia -- computerized test misgraded – five students awarded $5,000 scholarships http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_8014/is_20051015/ai_n41291590/ 2005-2006 SAT college admissions test – 4400 tests wrongly scored; $3 million settlement after lawsuit (note FairTest was an expert witness for plaintiffs) 2007-2011 Mississippi – subcontractor programs correct answer as incorrect resulting in erroneous results for almost four years during which time 126 students flunked the exam due to that wrongly scored item. Auditors criticized Pearson's quality control checks, and the firm offered $600,000 in scholarships as compensation 2008 South Carolina --"Scoring Error Delays School Report Cards" The State, November 14, 2008 2008-2009 Arkansas -- first graders forced to retake exam because real test used for practice 2009-2010 Wyoming – Pearson's new computer adaptive PAWS flops; state declares company in "complete default of the contract;" $5.1 million fine accepted after negotiations but not pursued by state governor http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_d7fae426-7358-5000-a86b-aefcae258a2a.html http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_263ceb44-833a-11e0-911d-001cc4c002e0.html 2010 Florida – test score delivery delayed by more than a month – nearly $15 million in fines imposed and paid. http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/florida-hits-fcat-contractor-pearson-with-another-12-million-in-penalties/1110688 2010 Minnesota -- results from online science tests taken by 180,000 students delayed due to scoring error http://www.twincities.com/ci_15533234?nclick_check=1# 2011 Florida – some writing exams delivered to districts without cover sheets, revealing subject students would be asked to write about http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/testing/testmaker-pearson-replaces-faulty-fcats-missing-cover-sheets/1153508 2011 Florida – new computerized algebra end-of-course exam delivery system crashes on first day of administration http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-05-17/features/os-algebra-test-pearson-problems-20110517_1_tests-algebra-high-schools 2011 Oklahoma – "data quality issues" cause "unacceptable" delay in score delivery -- http://newsok.com/errors-in-testing-data-hold-up-results-for-oklahoma-districts-students/article/3597297 Pearson ultimately replaced by CTB/McGraw Hill http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120714_19_A1_Afters391504 2011 Guam – score release delayed because results based on flawed comparison data; government seeks reimbursement -- http://www.guampdn.com/article/20111021/NEWS01/110210303 2011 Illinois – 144 student in five Chicago schools wrongly received zeroes due to scoring error. The state sought nearly $1.7 million from Pearson, which could not explain how the errors occurred. 2011 Iowa – State Ethics and Campaign Finance Disclosure Board opens investigation of Iowa Education Department director Jason Glass for participating in all-expenses-paid trip to Brazil sponsored by Pearson Foundation -- http://news.yahoo.com/formal-complaint-against-iowa-education-chief-190455698.html 2011 New York – Attorney General Eric Schneiderman subpoenas financial records from Pearson Education and Pearson Foundation concerning their sponsorship of global junkets for dozens of state education leaders -- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/22/education/new-york-attorney-general-is-investigating-pearson-education.html 2011 Oklahoma – State identifies 18 significant problems with Pearson's tests leading to $8 million penalty settlement. http://newsok.com/oklahoma-education-department-reviews-contracts-in-wake-of-standardized-testing-errors/article/3601417 2011 Wyoming – Board of Education replaces Pearson as state's test vendor after widespread technical problems with online exam (http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/state-education-officials-choose-new-paws-vendor/article_6ba18e9f-858c-5846-8274-db31c13494c1.html) 2012 New York – "Pineapple and the Hare" nonsense test question removed from exams after bloggers demonstrate that it was previously administered in at least half a dozen other states – http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/21/nyregion/standardized-testing-is-blamed-for-question-about-a-sleeveless-pineapple.html 2012 New York – More than two dozen additional errors found in New York State tests developed by Pearson -- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304203604577394492500145150.html 2012 Florida – After percentage of fourth grades found "proficient" plunges from 81% to 27% in one year, state Board of Education emergency meeting "fixes" scores on FCAT Writing Test by changing definition of proficiency. http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Passing-score-lowered-for-FCAT-Writing-exam/-/1637132/13396234/-/k1ckc2z/-/index.html 2012 Virginia – Error on computerized 3rd and 6th grade SOL tests causes state to offer free retakes. http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Error_on_SOL_Reading_Test_Gives_Students_Option_to_Retake_154191285.html 2012 New York – Parents have their children boycott "field test" of new exam questions because of concerns about Pearson's process http://rochesterhomepage.net/fulltext?nxd_id=322122 2012 Oklahoma – After major test delivery delays, state replaces Pearson as its testing contractor http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=19&articleid=20120714_19_A1_Afters391504 2012 New York – More than 7,000 New York City elementary and middle school students wrongly blocked from graduation by inaccurate "preliminary scores" on Pearson tests http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/ed_blunder_mad_grads_JI2z8N6tA6Td0FGiwYSraP 2012 New York – State officials warn Pearson about potential fines if tests have more errors http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/fines-bad-questions-state-tests-article-1.1187220 2012 Mississippi – Pearson pays $623,000 for scoring error repeated over four years that blocked graduation for five students and wrongly lowered scores for 121 others http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121025/NEWS01/310240052/Pearson-North-America-scoring-error-prevented-5-Mississippi-students-from-graduating-affected-121-others 2012 Texas – Pearson computer failure blocks thousands of students from taking state-mandated exam by displaying error message at log on http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local-education/computer-glitch-prevents-some-texas-students-from-/nTMCP/ 2013 New York – Passages from Pearson textbooks appear in Pearson-designed statewide test, giving unfair advantage to students who used those materials http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/practice-material-found-upstate-exams-article-1.1321448 2013 New York – three Pearson test scoring mistakes block nearly 5,000 students from gifted-and-talented program eligibility http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/20/education/score-corrections-qualify-nearly-2700-more-pupils-for-gifted-programs.html 2013 Worldwide – Pearson VUE testing centers around the globe experience major technical problems, leaving thousands unable to take scheduled exams or register for new ones http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/04/26/pearson-vue-test-centers-experience-major-problems 2013 New York – Second error found in New York City gifted-and-talented test scoring makes 300 more students eligible for special programs http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/education/new-error-found-in-test-scoring-for-gifted-programs.html 2013 England, Wales and Northern Ireland – General Certificate of Secondary Education exam in math leaves out questions and duplicates some others http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10118879/Exam-board-apologises-over-GCSE-test-paper-blunder.html 2013 Texas – State Auditor finds inadequate monitoring of Pearson's contract: vendor determined costs of assessment changes without sufficient oversight and failed to disclose hiring nearly a dozen former state testing agency staff http://www.texastribune.org/2013/07/16/state-auditor-finds-testing-contract-oversight-lac/ 2013 Virginia – 4,000 parents receive inaccurate test scorecards due to Pearson error in converting scores to proficiency levels http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/pearson-miscalculates-scorecards-for-more-than-4000-va-students/2013/08/13/5620cc42-042d-11e3-a07f-49ddc7417125_story.html 2013 New York – New Pearson Common Core textbooks are "full of errors," including in sample test items http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/textbooks-recommended-dept-education-full-errors-teachers-article-1.1512852 2013 New York – Pearson fined $7.7 million by New York State for using its non-profit foundation arm to steer business to the firm http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/nyregion/educational-publishers-charity-accused-of-seeking-profits-will-pay-millions.html 2014 National – Pearson notifies students who took the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) in 2011 that their exams had been miscored http://dianeravitch.net/2014/04/17/pearsons-errors-matter/ 2014 Florida – State education commissioner seeks penalties after schools in 26 counties suspend Pearson's new computerized tests because server problems prevent students from logging on and freeze screens http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/pasco-hernando-schools-battling-computer-problems-during-fcat/2176268 2014 New York – Printing errors result in missing questions and blank pages in Pearson-designed statewide math assessment http://news.wbfo.org/post/missing-pages-statewide-math-assessments 2014 Texas – Pearson emails out two test questions to teachers days before the exam is administered http://educationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/05/questions-on-two-staar-exams-were-accidentally-emailed-out-last-month.html/ If you have questions or additional examples, contact Bob Schaeffer. Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing office- (239) 395-6773 fax- (239) 395-6779 mobile- (239) 696-0468 web- http://www.fairtest.org dianeravitch | July 14, 2014 at 8:00 am | Categories: Pearson, Testing | URL: http://wp.me/p2odLa-8eN Comment    See all comments